The present invention relates to agricultural planters. Although the illustrated embodiment is in the form of an agricultural row crop planter having multiple frame sections which are hinged together to permit the planter to follow ground contour more closely, the invention has application to single frame planters and to grain drills as well. A row crop planter deposits individual seeds in rows. Typically, a row crop planter has a plurality of xe2x80x9crow unitsxe2x80x9d which are independently mounted to a pull frame. Each row unit forms a furrow, deposits separated or xe2x80x9csingulatedxe2x80x9d seeds at a fixed spacing along the furrow and closes the furrow, covering the seed and lightly packing the soil above the seed.
A planter row unit, in addition to having a furrow opening device, a seed meter or xe2x80x9csingulatingxe2x80x9d mechanism for separating and depositing individual seeds in the furrow, and a furrow closing device, also typically has a separate hopper (or small tank) to store a supply of seed. A hopper for a planter row unit typically holds about 120 pounds of seed which is generally delivered to the farmer in 50 lb. bags. Seed is stored in the hopper which supplies the seed meter. The seed, upon being singulated by the meter, flows under gravity through a rigid delivery tube into a formed furrow immediately behind a disc furrow opener. The number of acres a farmer may plant with such a system without stopping to refill the hoppers, for a given number of row units and equal seeding rates, is determined by the seed storage capacity of the individual hoppers on the row units.
All of the hoppers on a planter are not necessarily filled with equal amounts of seed. Thus, some row units will run out of seed before others. When a row unit hopper runs out of seed, the farmer is alerted by a monitor normally mounted within the operator""s vision on the tractor which displays in real time the xe2x80x9cpopulationxe2x80x9d or number of seeds being planted per linear unit of measure or per acre. Individual row units have their own sensors and if one row unit runs out of seed, the farmer is alerted immediately. Even though other planter row units may still have seed, the farmer must stop planting and refill all the tanks to reduce the number of stops.
A modern row crop planter may have twelve, sixteen, eighteen or twenty-four row units. It is a very strenuous task to load eighteen empty or nearly empty hoppers using 50 lb. seed bags in the field. The seed bags must be lifted by hand, normally from a pick-up truck, carried to a particular row in the planter; and the farmer must then negotiate between adjacent row units, carrying the seed bag at approximately shoulder level, maneuver the seed bag over the hoppers and dump the seed into the hopper. It frequently happens that the farmer fills one hopper and still may have twenty to forty pounds of seed remaining in that sack, which must be loaded into a seed tank of another row unit or returned to the truck. This exercise can be repeated as many as thirty times to fill a sixteen-row, 30-inch planter with splitter rows.
The example being discussed is not an isolated incident. In fact, farms have become larger with time; and many farmers plant not only the land they own but rented land as well. The same planter often is used to plant a number of separate fields so that the total acres planted per machine has also increased substantially. Yet, the time for planting obviously remains the same. As a result, seed suppliers have begun delivering seed to the farmer in bulk containers typically holding 1500 to 2000 lbs. of seed. Such large containers require handling equipment, such as forklifts. The trend toward shipping in bulk containers, while reducing cost and saving time, has rendered the filling of individual seed tanks impractical due to difficulties in positioning the handling equipment and controlling the starting and stopping of the seed flow out of the bulk containers when desired, and without spillage.
Another disadvantage with individual seed hoppers is that in order to inspect or repair the seed meter, the hopper and meter must be removed together from the row unit to gain access to the mechanism in the meter. The combination can be heavy to lift, particularly if the hopper is full or nearly full, and the operation can result in spillage of seed or require that the hopper first be emptied.
There are some existing planters which do have centralized storage and distribution of seed. Most such systems use a separate trailing vehicle, namely a drawn cart for storing the seed. The seed is then moved forward to the planter from the rear cart by means of forced air. The seed is then distributed to the individual row, or in the case of seed drill, to the openers. Another commercial planter uses a centralized seed storage tank mounted directly on the planter frame, but the planter frame is rigid. This limits the width of the overall planter to approximately twenty feet (eight rows of thirty inch spacing between adjacent rows). A planter with a rigid frame of twenty feet obviously does not adjust to variations in ground contour as does one with a width of ten feet or less.
A row crop planter of twelve or more rows having a capability of planting at a thirty or thirty-six inch spacing will preferably have three planter frame sections, a center section, a left wing section and a right wing section. The wing sections are articulated respectively to the outboard ends of the center frame sectionxe2x80x94that is, the wing sections are hinged to rotate independently of one another about horizontal axes parallel to the direction of travel, so that the overall planter frame may follow variations in ground contour more closely. There are currently no commercial row crop planters having a multiple section frame and a centralized bulk seed storage carried directly on the planter frame.
Modem grain drills are typically constructed using a continuous seed tank placed above the furrow openers. A seed metering device is usually attached to the bottom of the tank for each opener, and a flexible hose attached to each seed meter directs the seed flow to the furrow. This generally accepted configuration has some drawbacks. 1). The seed tank must be positioned high enough that there is sufficient room below the seed meter to allow the seed flow hose to flex through the range of motion of the openers. This usually means that some sort of operator platform is necessary for filling the tank with seed. 2). The tanks are generally flat bottomed with holes for mounting seed meters spaced to match the spacing of the openers. When planting row widths of 10-15 in., a considerable amount of seed is left in the tanks between the seed meter openings. Also, the tank must be filled evenly across its length so that all the meters are supplied with seed. As the tank becomes empty, the farmer must stop and rake the seed level across the bottom of the tank to use up all the seed. 3). Farmers frequently change seed varieties as they move from field to field. With current grain drill designs, it is necessary to drain the tank at each individual seed meter and then sweep out the remaining seed, if left, when changing seed varieties or types.
The present invention includes a row crop planter having a drawn frame supported by wheels. The main frame includes a double toolbar construction (i.e., fore and aft mounting bars) and includes a center section and left and right wings. The center section is supported by wheels; and the outboard ends of each wing is also supported by one or more wheels which may be adjustable in height. As used herein, the term xe2x80x9ctoolbarxe2x80x9d is broadly construed to mean an elongated frame member, extending transversely of the direction of travel, to which individual row units are mounted. Thus, the present invention includes a frame having a forward toolbar and a rear toolbar. Individual push-type row units are mounted by conventional four bar linkages in front of the forward toolbar, and conventional pull-type row units are mounted by four-bar linkages behind the rear toolbar and located between the forward units. If only the rear row units are used, as is typically the case for planting corn, for example, the row spacing may be thirty inches, by way of example. When the planter is set up to plant beans, both the front row units (sometimes referred to as xe2x80x9csplitterxe2x80x9d units) and the rear units are used at the same time and the inter-row spacing is fifteen inches.
In the illustrated embodiment, the double-toolbar planter frame has a center frame section, a right wing frame section hingedly mounted to the center frame section for movement about a horizontal axis parallel to the direction of travel, and a left frame section similarly mounted to the left side of the center frame section for vertical movement (i.e. articulated) which permits the overall three-section planter to follow ground contour more accurately. Since the individual row units are independently amounted by four-bar linkages, the planting depth for each individual row unit is accurately maintained.
The individual frame sections (that is, left section, center section and right section) are strengthened by means of lattice frameworks extending directly upwardly from each of the forward and rear toolbars for each planter frame section. The toolbars for each planter frame section are further strengthened and formed into an integral frame by means of spaced frame members extending between and welded to the front and rear toolbars.
Thus, each of the center section, right wing section and left wing section includes a frame in the general form of a xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d when viewed from the side, the forward portion of the xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d being formed by the forward upright lattice framework, the rear portion being formed by the rear upright lattice framework, and the bottom being formed by the toolbars and fore-to-aft connecting members.
A storage tank or very large hopper having an open top covered with a removable lid is mounted above each wing frame section, and each seed storage tank is received between and supported by the upright lattice frameworks, fore-and-aft, of each wing frame section. Moreover, the seed storage tanks are elongated in the direction of extension of the wings and they extend inboard of the associated wing pivot joint. That is, the inboard end of each of the seed storage tanks extends into the U-shaped frame of the center frame section, and is supported by the forward and rear upright lattice frames of the center frame section as well as by its associated wing frame section. Each seed storage stores seed for as many as ten or more row units. Each row unit may have a small hopper, called a buffer hopper.
Each seed storage tank is mounted at its outboard end to its associated wing lattice framework, in both the front and rear, by means of a generally upright support link, pivotally mounted at its upper end to the seed tank and pivotally mounted at its lower end to the adjacent upright lattice framework of a wing frame. The inboard end of each seed storage tank is connected, both front and rear, by a generally horizontal link having its outboard end pivotally connected to the adjacent lattice framework of the center section, and its inboard end pivotally connected adjacent the inboard end of the horizontally elongated seed storage tank. The inboard end of each storage tank is provided, both in front and rear, with an inboard pivot support member and an intermediate support pivot member. Thus, each seed storage tank extends along its associated wing section over a major portion of the lateral dimension thereof, and for a substantial portion of the adjacent central frame section.
As a wing section rotates downwardly in adjusting to a downwardly-sloping ground contour, the associated seed storage tank is supported by the intermediate pivot members; and the inboard end of the storage tank is raised slightly above the center section by the intermediate pivot members mounted to the seed storage tank, both front and rear. The intermediate pivot members are arranged to engage, and pivot about the lattice framework of the center frame section, slightly inboard of the hinge location between the wing frame section and the center frame section. The horizontal link connecting the inboard and the tank of the seed storage tank to the framework of the center frame section is in compression, resisting lateral, downward movement of the entire seed storage tank.
When a wing section moves upwardly to adjust to ground contour, the inboard end of the tank is supported by the inboard pivot members located at the inboard end of the seed tank, and the horizontal link is in tension, resisting inward movement of the seed storage tank toward the center of the planter. This support structure and linkages for the seed storage tanks not only permits the tanks to move relative to the row units and the frame sections in order to accommodate variations in ground contour, but it reduces the amount of such motion and makes it possible to mount the seed tanks in low profile above the planter frame which is believed to be of considerable importance and value to the farmer, and it limits the number of seed storage tanks in a multi-section planter to two while increasing their storage capacity by permitting them to extend over, and be supported by, adjacent articulated frame sections.
In this manner, the seed storage tank is permitted limited vertical movement relative to the articulated frame sections, and limited lateral movement, while adjusting to the hinging motions of the adjacent articulated frame sections during use. Moreover, each seed storage tank, one on the right side and one on the left side, is mounted for independent movement relative to the other seed storage tank so that they may independently accommodate the articulating motions of the left and right planter wing sections. Further, the total storage capacity of seed is greatly increased over individual hoppers on row units, and the number of storage tanks is limited to two. Because of the is large size of the storage tanks and the large top opening in each seed storage tank, they are easily loaded by machine to reduce the loading time and effort.
The seed storage tanks are received in, and mounted to, the U-shaped channels formed by the upright lattice frameworks and dual toolbar construction of the planter frame sections. This enables the seed tanks to have a low, attractive profile, yet provide a substantial volume for seed storage. A low tank profile has a number of advantages. First, a low tank profile provides safety features in that it does not interfere with overhanging gates or other structures when passing. Secondly, the farmer operator has an unobstructed view of the region behind the planter insofar as the height of the tanks is lower than the normal vision line of a farmer operator seated or standing on the tractor. Further, a substantial operational advantage is provided in that the center of gravity for the seed tanks is lower than if the tanks were located further above the planter frame. In addition, the seed storage tanks extend laterally and occupy substantially the entire width of the planter in the field use position. This distributes the weight of the seed tanks (which is substantial when they are full), laterally over the width of the planter while increasing total seed storage capacity.
A seed handling mechanism inside the tanks also provides substantial advantages in operation. The seed handling mechanism within each tank includes an auger conveyor located near the bottom of the tank and extending substantially the entire length of the tank. The length of the floor auger conveyor extends transverse to the direction of travel of the planter. The tank, at its bottom, is narrowed to form a trough to enhance the effectiveness of the floor auger in clearing the tank of substantially all remaining seed. The seed is delivered from the bottom of the tank, by means of an elevator, to an elongated distribution manifold located at the top of each tank and extending longitudinally of the tank. The distribution manifold also contains an auger which conveys the seed longitudinally of the tank. A discharge manifold and flexible connection hose are coupled to the distribution manifold for delivering seed under gravity from the distribution manifold to individual small, closed tanks, sometimes referred to as xe2x80x9cbuffer hoppersxe2x80x9d which supply the seed metering devices associated with each row unit.
Some discharge manifolds extend forwardly and others rearwardly; and they may thus be positioned nearly directly above their associated row units. The discharge manifolds are positioned near the bottom of the elongated distribution manifold so that the flexible delivery hose may remain generally vertical but be routed either slightly forwardly (to supply push-type planter row units) or slightly rearwardly (to supply pull-type planter row units). Thus, locating the seed storage tank at a position above and between the front and rear toolbars of the planter frame not only achieves a more uniform weight distribution for the seed tanks along the planter frame, but it also reduces the lateral distance over which seed is delivered from the distribution manifold to the individual buffer tanks. The upper location of the distribution manifold in the seed tank permits the seed to be delivered from the storage tank to the planting units under gravity, while maintaining the advantages described above of a low profile seed tank structure.
Using the present invention, a grain drill could be constructed with the seed meters located at a high point in the tank, above the bottom. The lift augers would bring the seed up to the meters and evenly distribute the seed to all openers. The delivery hoses would extend to the openers form a position along the bottom of the seed tank, and have enough length to flex with the movement of the opener device. Draining the system to change seed varieties or type could be done with the floor auger. The over-all machine height could be lowered and the function of the machine improved.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to persons skilled in the art of the following detailed description of one embodiment accompanied by the attached drawing wherein identical reference numerals refer to like parts in the various views.